Steam-heating system.



r T 0 all whom it may concern UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IILLARD P. OSBOURN, 0F MERCHANTVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WARREN WEBSTER & COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

Be it known that I, Minn/um P. OSBOURN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Merchantville, county of Cam.- den, and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Steam -1'Ieating tems, of which the following is a specification.

My in vention has reference to steam heat ing systems and consists of certain in'iprovemcnts which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

This invention has particular reference to heating systems in which the steam is circulated at low pressures, and is especially designed for tempefi'iture control on the modulation principle, that is to say to enable the temperature of the radiator to be varied at: will and by the direct control of the hand operatingsupply valve and in which each of the radiators may be separately adjusted as to' its tenmcrature independently of the others and while all receive the steam from the san'ie'source.

My invention consists in l'n'oviding a steam main for supply of steam to the radiators and for returning water of condensation from the radiators, eombined'with a water discharge pipe leading from each of the radiators and connecting with the steam supply pipe and provided with a seal or trap be tween the radiator and the steam supply pipe to prevent or restrict the passage of steam to the radiator therethrough, a valve between the supply side of the radiator and the steam supply pipe for regulating thesupply of team by hand control, and an automatic valve device for permitting the escape of air from the radiator whilehrestrieting the cape of steam.

My invention also consists'in providing thestcam suipply pipe of the heating system with a receiving tank at a higher elevation than the level of the boiler which supplies the steam to the heating system, combined with a discharge pipe from the receiver to the boiler below its water level, a valve device to control the supply of Water from the receiver to the boiler", and means controlled by the level of the water in the boiler to operate the valve, whereby the water of condensation from the heating system may be temporarily stored in the receiver and inter- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1909.

from the supply pipe into the radiator.

Patented Apr. 21-, 1914.

Serial No. 505,119. I

mittently delivered from the receiver to the boiler under the control of the level of the water in the boiler itself.

My invention also comprehends details of construction which, together with the fea" be employed on the discharge side of the radiator.

2 is a boiler which delivers steam by a pipe 2-} into the steam supply pipe or riser 4 leading to the ditt'erent floors of the building, This steam pipe 4 delivers steam to the supply side of the radiators 5 by means of the valves (3 of any suitable construction' which will regulate the flow of steam. Preferably the steam is supplied to the upper part of the radiators, The water of condensation is removed from=the discl'iarge side of the radiators adjacent to the lower part thereof by pipes 7 which connect with the steam riser or supply pipe 4: below therespective radiators from which said pipes lead. These pipes 7 are perfectly shaped to form a water seal or steam trap as mdicated at 8, so that while the water of con;

densation may flow from the radiators into the supply pipe 4, the said water'seal or steam trap prevents the passage of steam If desired, the pipes 7 may be provided with check valves 9, which open outwardly from the radiators to permit passage of water, but which close to prevent or restrict the flow of steam or water from the pipes 7, 8 or 4 into the radiators. These check valves 9 may be in the pipes 7 close to the radiators or in the pipes 8 constituting the water seal. .In either case the attempt of steam to force its way into the radiators will cause the water from the trap to seal the check valve to restrict or prevent all steam'from passing even if the check valve is not tight. The valves 9 may be dispensed with if the valve seal is made of considerable depth as indicated at the left hand side of the riser 4.

In place of water seal or steam trap and check valve as above described, a form of water sealed check valve may be employed when made substantially of either of the con structions illustratwl in l igs. 2 or 3. In the case of Fig. 2 the check valve!) does hot difierl 7 which connect the discharge side of this fitting with the steam sufpply pipe as indi- (rated at the u per part 0 i 1. In Fig. 3 the water'sea 10 is on the ot er side of the check valve 9 and corresponds to the seal formed by the pipes 7 and 8. It will be understood that, in these cases, while the operation is not materially different, the compactness of the structure is perhaps more dosirable. I,

Each of the radiatorsb are provided with automatic valves v12 at a distance above their lower parts and referably adjacent to the discharge side oft e radiator, through which the air may pass. These automatic valves may be of an of the'well known constructions and pre erably of thermostatic charac-. ter, they being so designed as to permit the free escape of air from the radiator while restrictin or preventing the flow of steam and there y'preventing waste. The air discharged from'these automatic valves 12 may be conveyed to a distant place by means of pipes 13.

It will be understood from'the description above given of the improved system that we have in this construction essentially a one pipe-system, namely, a system in which the steam is supplied to the radiators and the water of condensation returned therefrom through one and the same pipe.

While air valves 12 of automatic character are desirable, it will be understood that a capillary duct or vent of small and restricting area may be employed as part 12, if so desired.

In using my invention for modulation of the temperature the operation is automatic but preferably under the manual control of the supply valve as follows: Assuming that the steam is turned on full, the radiator will be practically clear of air and water and will be operating at its greatest efficiency as a heater and doing its maximum heating. If now, the steam is gradually throttled in its supply to the radiator, the condensing capacity of the radiator will be in excess-of the steam supply and the internal pressure will be decreased and hence the pressure in the supply pipe will support a greater col umn of water within the wearer above its outlet and the water will therefore rise to such a level within the radiator as to counter-bal- "ance the steam pressure exerted through I pipe 7 As the radiator will, in this way become, to a'more or less extent, filled with water of condensation, just so will it have.

less radiating surface available and become for the time being, a heater of correspondadjusted to any degree desired from a maximum to a minimum capacity by merely adjusting the supply valve and without being dominated or controlled by the temmodulation of the temperature of the room may be perfectly carried on un-- der the control of the occupant and varied as frequently as desired. To discharge the radiator of water at an time, it is only necessary to turn on a in 1 supply of steam. Any reduction in the quantit of steam supis its maximum normal supply will tend to reduce the internal pressure and to that extent automatically retain a non-heating medium, water or air, .or'both within the radiator and reduce correspondingly, its available heating surface. It will thus be evident that whenever the radiator is to be used for less than its maximum capacity, the supply pi e should connect with the radiator above t e highest level at which the water of condensationis to be allowed to escape. In general, the discharge outlet for water from the radiator should be below the inlet for the steam thereto, but I do not restrict myself to the particular location of these connections.

Connecting with the bottom or lowermost point of the supply pipe 4, is a drip pipe 14, which leads to the receiving tank 15, which tank is arranged at a higher elevation than the normal water level of the boiler 2. The bottom of the receiving tank is connected by a pipe 16 with the lower part of the boiler and said pipe 16' is provided with a control valve 17. The control valve 17 is connected by suitable means 18 with a float 19 and. a float chamber 20. The float chamber 20 is connected at the bottom with the boiler below the water level by a pipe 21, and the top of the float chamber is connected by a pipe 22 with-the steam space of the boiler. It will be understood that the level of the water in there is no danger or possibility of flooding the boiler, as nomore water canbe admitted to the boiler than is suilicient to maintain its normal water level.

As the system is a closed system, designed to circulate the same heating medium over plied to the radiator, relative y to that which 4lensation may occur, or in what quantity,

ingly less capacity. This condition may be W perature of the room. In this way the the float chamber 20 is the same as thut'of and over again and without the addition of water from an outside source fexcept to compensate for-unavoidable loss), it is evident that the improvements herein described are most important in the preservation of uniformity in the cases of heating apparatus where large numbers of radiators are supplied from one boiler.' It is evident that without some intermediate system of maintaining the normal level offlthe' water in the boiler, a great deal of irregularity in such level would result, under the varying requirements of the system, and at some time having exceedingly low and at other times excessively high water levels, all of which introduce irregularities in operation and loss of economy. By providing means of the character herein set out whereby absolute uniformity in working is insured and the requirements for external water is reduced to a minimum, it is evident that, as the air is expelled from the radiators through automatic valves-12, and-an inflow of air is prevented by the employment of a check valve 2 1 on the pipe 13, the water employed for generating the steam will gradually become largely clear of objectionable air and thereby enable the more perfect control of the system for heating.

It desired,v an overflow pipe 23 may be connected with the receiving tank 15 and discharge to the bottom of the boiler, or into the pipe 16 between the valve 17 and the boiler, as shown. Normally, this pipe is water sealed to the level of the water in the tank 15 and flow of water through this pipe would only take place where the water level in Lhe reservoir 15 was abnormally high. At all other times the supply of Water to the boiler would be automatically regulated by llll'illls oi the float 19 and the valve 17.

From the construction shown, it Will be evident that as the. reservoir 15 has the boiler pressure through pipes 3 and 14 at it top and above the Water contained therein, and has the same pressure at its bottom through the pipe 16, the pressures in the tank 15 and the boiler 2 are equal, and consequently the ditlerence in the level of the water in the boiler, and in the tank will induce the dew bygravitvand the dew will be controlled by the valve 17..11; is therefore evident that by locating the-tank 15 at a higher elevation, an increased pressure in the pipes 16 may be insured, but under ordiuary conditions, it is not necessary that the rank 15 shall be more than a few inches higher than the normal water level of the boiler.

lVhile I prefer the construction shown in the commercial application of my improvements, it is evident that the manner of re moving the water from the radiators may be employed without the automatic manner of returning the water to the boiler and vice versa, and a-sidcivfrom the general features 05 the invention, the details thereof may be modified.

In this ap lication, I do not claim the means or met 0d of supplying steam to and removing air and water from the radiators whereby they may be efiiciently heated and regulated so as to modulate the temperature of the room containing them, as said matters form subject-matter of another application, J5

Serial No. 505,118, filed June 30, 1909.

Having now described my invention what 1' claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentfls: I

1. In a steam heating system the com-' bination of a steam generator, a radiating system in communication therewith, adjustable means'for accumulating and varying the amount of accumulation of water of condensation within the system, a reservoir for receiving and storing the water of condensation from the radiating system, and automatic means for. controlling the flow of water of condensation from said reservoir to the generator and for maintaining a predetermined water level in the generator. l p

2. In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam generator, a radiating system in communication therewith, adjustable eans vfor accumulating and varying the amount of accumulation of water of condensation Within the system, a reservoir for receiving and storing the, water of cone densation from the radiating sys em, said reservoir being at a higher level than the normal water level in said steam generator, a water feed pipe connecting said reservoir with said generator to returnlthe water of condensation, a valve to control the flow of water in said feed water pipe, and automatic means under the control of variations in the level of the water in the boiler for controlling the operation of said valve whereby the flow of water of condensation to\said' generator is regulated, and a predetermined water level maintained in said generator. 3, In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam generator, a radiating system in communication therewith, adjustable means for accumul ting and varying. the amount of accumulation of water of condensation within the system, a, reservoir for receiving and storing-the water of C011? densation from the radiating system, said reservoir being located at a' higher elevation than the normal water level in said generator, a steam pipe connecting the upper portion of said reservoir with the steam space of saidgenerator, a water-feed pipe connecting the lower portionof said reservoir with said, generator for returning the water of condensation to said gQnerat-or, a valve to c -utrol the low of water in the said feed water] pipe, and a float under the control of the level of the water in the boiler and suitably connected to said valve to control the opera ion thereof, whereby the flow of water ofaeondensation is automatically regulated and a predetermined water level maintained in said generator.

4-. In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam generator, a radiating system in-communication therewith, adj ustable means for accumulating and varying the amount of accumulation of water-of con- 'densation within the system, a reservoir for receiving, and storing-the water of condensation from the radiating system, said reservoir being located at a higher elevation than the normal water level in said generator, a

.steam pipe connecting the upper portion of thereof, whereby the flow of water of condensation is automatically regulated and a predetermined water level malntained in said generator, and an overflow pipe from the upper part of said reservoir adapted to discharge water into the generator in case the level in the reservoir reaches an abnormal height.

5. In a steam system, a steam pipe for delivering steam by expansion and returning the water of condensation by gravity, and a steam boiler for supplying steam to the steam pipe, combined with a reservoir arranged at a higher elevation than the normal water level in the steam boiler for re ceiving the water of condensation. from the steam pipe, a feed water pipe connecting the reservoir ,with the boiler for returning the water of condensation to the boiler,-a

"'valve to control the flow of water in the said feed water pipe, means controlled by .the

level of the water in the boiler to operate the said valve whereby the water in the boiler may be maintained at a normal level, and an overflow pipe from the upper art of the reservoir for discharging water into theboiler whenever the level in the reservoir R. M. HUNTER, R. M. KELLY. 

